The present invention was developed to add further function to the widely accepted evacuation systems currently used for suction or aspiration. The concept of suction or aspiration in the dental office has its roots in the old fashioned spittoon. The spittoon was later replaced by the gravity flow cuspidor, then by the flush cup and finally by the suction tip/aspirator tip/vacuum tip which are interchangeable terms varying by the user and based on the size of the aperture in the device.
These dental suction instruments are used by dentists to remove fluids and other foreign objects that accrue in the patient's oral cavity during typical dental procedures. The conventional dental suction tool comprises a suction tip connected by a long tubing to a vacuum source. The dental suction tool can be configured to hang in the corner of the patient's mouth or is manipulated by the dentist to suction the oral cavity.
With the rising incidence of communicable diseases such as hepatitis and acquired immune deficiency syndrome, extreme care must be taken to prevent the transmission of germs (viral or bacteria) from one patient to the next. With the conventional suction devices, it is necessary to sterilize at least the tip of the suction device after each patient use. During the use of the suction device, water, saliva and blood from the patient's mouth is drawn into the tip for removal from the oral cavity. If cleaning and sterilization is not effected, it would be very easy to transfer infection from one patient to the next. Also, latent bacterial growth can be promoted in both the tip and the entire vacuum suction system lines because of the existence of this potentially contaminating material. To further mitigate this possibility of cross-contamination from one patient to the next, the routine sterilization of suction tips is desirable.
It is desirable to also supply light into the oral cavity to assist the dentist in performing necessary dental procedures. Most dental operatories have an overhead task lighting system with reflective surfaces that help concentrate the light on the patient's mouth. However, the dentist will often stand in the path of the light which minimizes the effectiveness of the overhead light. One of the major nuisances and frustrations in the practice of dentistry is the constant need for the dentist to spend time adjusting the direction of this overhead lighting.
Various dental tools have been provided with a light source to assist the dentist during various dental activities. For example, a typical dental drill will include a fiberoptic bundle that transmits light from a light source to the end of the dental drill which allows the dentist to provide light directly to the area in which the drilling is occurring. Representative of this technology are the disclosures shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,507,085 (Mosimann) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,088,924 (Woodward).
Dental syringe tip handpieces have also been provided with a light source to illuminate the area into which the air and/or water are to be sprayed. Representative of these devices is the disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 4,619,612 (Weber) which shows a fiberoptic bundle disposed down the center of a metal syringe tip assembly. A light bulb acts as the light source and is disposed in the interior of the handpiece. The syringe tip used in the disclosure of the Weber patent is a metal, non-disposable syringe tip which must be autoclaved prior to use on the next patient.
Previous attempts to use light in conjunction with a suction tip were done by running a fiberoptic bundle tangent and parallel to the suction tip. The optical conduit for the fiberoptic bundle was fixed to the suction tip by a series of clamps along the length of the suction tip. However, the results from this configuration were less than desirable for several reasons.
The fiberoptic bundles that were attached to the suction tips still needed to be sterilized before being used on the next patient. Fiberoptic bundles are not particularly amenable to the heat of sterilization and the expense and inconvenience of frequent replacement of these fiberoptic bundles can be prohibitive. It is also necessary to clean up the areas on the suction tip at which the clamps are attached and this can be quite cumbersome and time consuming. Another problem with this fiberoptic bundle configuration is that the light is positioned off-center from the suction tip so that the light being transmitted into the oral cavity of the patient still casts shadows from the suction tip, itself, which can do more harm than good.
The novel concept developed herein is to transmit light to the field of operation by transmitting a light source through a transparent plastic material which simultaneously serves as the suction tip of the dental suction device. The fact that the light is centered relative to the suction tip minimizes any shadows in the oral cavity and reduces the need for the dentist to rely on his overhead task lighting, which is constantly in need of adjustment.
It is proposed that the use of the present invention in conjunction with the light source that is coupled to the air/water syringe tip will provide sufficient light in the patient's oral cavity to obviate the need for the overhead task lighting and eliminate the time spent constantly adjusting this task lighting.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a disposable suction tip as part of the dental suction tool so that each patient can receive a clean and uncontaminated suction tip.
It is a feature of the present invention that the suction tip portion of a dental suction tool is made from a disposable plastic material.
It is an advantage of the present invention that cross-contamination between patients due to improperly cleaned or sterilized suction tips is eliminated because each patient is provided with a new, clean and uncontaminated suction tip that is only used on that patient.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a useful source of light that can be transmitted into the oral cavity of the patient whenever the dentist is using a dental suction tool.
It is a further feature of the present invention to provide a light source at one end of the suction tip on the interior of the adaptor that holds the suction tip in the dental tool. Light from the light source is directed into one end of the suction tip and carried along the length thereof. At the opposite end of the suction tip, the light radiates from the suction tip and can be used to illuminate the oral cavity of the patient.
It is a further advantage of the present invention that a dentist will be able to illuminate the oral cavity using the same instrument that he is using to suction liquids and other foreign matter from the oral cavity of the patient. Any dental procedures that require use of the dental suction tool will be more easily, safely and effectively carried out because the dentist will be able to see exactly where in the oral cavity he is working.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide means for properly aligning the suction tip in the dental suction tool.
It is a further feature of the present invention to provide at one end of the suction tip at least one beveled section along an outer wall surface of the suction tip so that the suction tip can be properly aligned in the dental suction tool. Alternatively, one end of the suction tip is provided with at least one recess that is adapted to cooperate with a keying element in the dental suction tool to properly align the suction tip in the dental suction tool.
It is a further advantage of the present invention that a dentist will be able to properly align the suction tip in the dental suction tool.
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description.